I hope it is a good sign for sending men(and women) back to the moon soon. Some people think going to the moon is easy and therefore should be bypassed for more ambitious destinations like an asteroid or Mars. Actually NASA got very lucky in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ignorance is bliss and had they known then what is known now about the radiation hazards the Apollo Program most likely would have been delayed for at least a decade.Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Nasa is looking for private partners to participate in the project that will see a new generation of rovers wandering across the moon’s surface.

It is good to see. But it is a shame that Obamas government refuses to allocate enough funds not to have to involve private partners.

The American space agency has set up a programme called Catalyst to exploit commercial opportunities offered by the moon. It believes that eventually there will be a market for commercial cargo trips to the lunar surface.

Then let the private people get involved at that point then.

"As Nasa pursues an ambitious plan for humans to explore an asteroid and Mars, US industry will create opportunities for Nasa to advance new technologies on the moon".

It's all wrong. Space exploration should be for scientific endeavour, and mankind's benefit. It should not have to be bankrolled by greedy privatisation getting let in for profit to share holders.

USA private industry has done a great research job inn the past. Think only of the Bell Laboratories, which provided the transistor, the discovery of the cosmic microwave background, the start of radioastronomy, the UNIX operating system, etc.
Freeman J.Dyson, a British born scientist, has called for the engagement of privates in space exploration in his book "Disturbing the universe".
Tullio

Actually it was private industry that designed and built all of our previous manned space vehicles. NASA was just the manager and who wrote the specs. Even in the future with increased privatization NASA will still write the specs and decide who gets to launch and when. It is just that now NASA is asking the contractors to risk more of their own money. At least in the USA.Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

That is may all be true Bob, but NASA is only doing that because the government won't or can't stump up the money, that is what I think is wrong. Kennedy MADE them find the money.

Yes, but a war was on, the Cold War. Armstrong said that Apollo 11 ended the cold war, which was won by America. Now the Chines are failing on a Moon where America landed six manned missions and a rover. America is exploring Mars.
Tullio

That is may all be true Bob, but NASA is only doing that because the government won't or can't stump up the money, that is what I think is wrong. Kennedy MADE them find the money.

Yes, but a war was on, the Cold War. Armstrong said that Apollo 11 ended the cold war, which was won by America. Now the Chines are failing on a Moon where America landed six manned missions and a rover. America is exploring Mars.
Tullio

And only time will tell which power has made the better choice.Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

Actually it was private industry that designed and built all of our previous manned space vehicles. NASA was just the manager and who wrote the specs. Even in the future with increased privatization NASA will still write the specs and decide who gets to launch and when. It is just that now NASA is asking the contractors to risk more of their own money. At least in the USA.

Bob, I work in the business, I'm somewhat familiar with the issues.

"Because Bell Labs was part of the AT&T monopoly, its executives felt a moral, political and legal imperative to share the discovery with other researchers and license it to other companies. “AT&T maintained its monopoly at the government’s pleasure, and with the understanding that its scientific work was in the public interest,”" ~ "The Idea Factory" John Gertner

I don't detect any such ethical calculations on the part of present day executives. Boeing, despite being the senior partner in the nation's aero dupopoly (government sponsored via the approved, nay mandated, merger with McDonell Douglas) gave away the technology to make transonic wings to the Japanese for some money. It's not clear if they could even do a wing any more. Judging by the 787 they can barely manage a project let alone design the product.

Presently their whole business model is predicated on making engineers as marginalized as possible believing that Japan, China, India, and Europe should engineer things and Boeing should put their sticker on them when they are all done. Boeing's current plan for their illustrious R&D center? Move it to right-to-work states so they can get cheap bodies. That's their technology plan.

The pendulum has swung too far the other way. Why can't the DoD tell them "stop giving away the crown jewels or we'll turn off the GIANT PIPELINE OF MONEY FROM THE DOD TO YOUR COMPANY." Boeing didn't get where they are (or were) on their own, the USA taxpayer put them there.

I know in reality, space money in the U.S. is way down from what it was during the Apollo program, but I don't think budgets really mean anything. Funny money will eventually get some Earthlings back to the Moon and beyond. The mind is a weird and mysterious place

That will only happen Gordon if the political will is there do so so. NASA seems to have written off any thought of a moon base, and wants to concentrate upon the asteroids and Mars. Now, is that NASA's view, or the people that fund them? The Chinese are likely to set up Moonbase 1 first, and they will quite happily charge the USA astronauts for Bed & Breakfast.

The days of President Kennedy have long gone

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth".

Those were the days when we had real Presidents, not political animals. The USA has lost it's way, and I for one, sadly, don't see it getting back on track.

That will only happen Gordon if the political will is there do so so. NASA seems to have written off any thought of a moon base, and wants to concentrate upon the asteroids and Mars. Now, is that NASA's view, or the people that fund them? The Chinese are likely to set up Moonbase 1 first, and they will quite happily charge the USA astronauts for Bed & Breakfast.

The days of President Kennedy have long gone

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth".

Those were the days when we had real Presidents, not political animals. The USA has lost it's way, and I for one, sadly, don't see it getting back on track.

The Cold War and Kennedy certainly made the moon landing happen. As far as what's next, I think you're probably right about China, and I don't see any urgency on the USA's part to do much of anything independently nowadays. The mind is a weird and mysterious place

There is no reason to go back to the Moon, which has a much harsher environment than Mars, due to the lack of an atmosphere.The Chines Jade Rabbit has stopped working after a few days, Opportunity on Mars is still working after ten years and the winds have cleaned its solar panels up to almost nominal efficiency.See the JPL site on this.
Tullio

There is no reason to go back to the Moon, which has a much harsher environment than Mars, due to the lack of an atmosphere.The Chines Jade Rabbit has stopped working after a few days, Opportunity on Mars is still working after ten years and the winds have cleaned its solar panels up to almost nominal efficiency.See the JPL site on this.
Tullio

Far too expensive to go back to the moon again although I wouldn't mind a real trip to the Moon myself:)rOZZMUSIC